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Biomedical subjects

F Okuno

Publications and source records attributed to F Okuno.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Serum type III procollagen peptide in diagnosis of lung fibrosis due to silicosis and bleomycin toxicity].

Early diagnosis of lung fibrosis has been hampered by the lack of a simple, convenient and specific test. Measurement of serum type III procollagen peptide (Pro (III)-N-P) by the method originally developed by Rohde et al. has been shown to be useful for the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis. The present study, therefore, was carried out to investigate the usefulness of the measurement of Pro (III)-N-P in 24 patients with lung fibrosis due to silicosis, and in 7 patients with malignant lymphoma treated with bleomycin, antitumor antibiotic which has the adverse effect of producing fibrosis in the lung. The normal value of the peptide in adults was 8.60 +/- 2.35 ng/ml (mean +/- SD; n = 68) and the normal upper level was set at 13.4 ng/ml (mean +/- 2SD). Patients with silicosis had significantly but not extremely high levels of the peptide and 25% of the patients showed abnormally high values. The level of Pro (III)-N-P was associated with neither physical findings, chest X-p findings nor pulmonary function test results. Three of 7 patients showed increased levels during treatment with bleomycin. In one case, a total dose of 120 mg of bleomycin for over a period of 14 months markedly increased the level of the peptide. These observations suggest that the determination of Pro (III)-N-P may be useful for the detection of lung fibrosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Epidemiological study on alcohol consumption and physical health in the Kitakyushu area with special reference to industrial structure].

Kitakyushu city is characterized by the following aspects, that is a large amount of alcohol consumption relative to other cities high death rate of liver cirrhosis and chronic liver diseases many recipients of the Daily Life Security a large population of aged people. This study was carried out to investigate the interrelation of industrial structure and drinking status of people living under these situations in Kitakyushu. The close association between drinking and liver diseases was found. Furthermore, a large proportion of drinkers were recipients of the Daily Life Security and this is one of the problems to be resolved. It also became clear that it is not easy to stop drinking for habitual drinkers in spite of the presence of liver diseases and the loss of feeling of satisfaction with life which may be triggered by retirement from job possibly hampers them from problem drinking. With an increase of a population of aged, an increase of alcoholism among them may cause serious, local but social problems. These problems may not be resolved only by the effort of clinical medicine, also macroscopical point of views through social structure, industrial structure, a policy of welfare, public health services etc. are required. A part of the study was presented at the 17th, 18th and 19th Conference of Japanese Medical Society of Alcohol Studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Platelet dysfunction and alteration of prostaglandin metabolism after chronic alcohol consumption.

To study the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on platelet functions, the rate of arachidonate-induced platelet aggregation, the production of malondialdehyde in platelets, and plasma levels of prostaglandin endoperoxide metabolites were examined in 88 chronic alcoholics and 24 healthy controls. The rate of platelet aggregation and the production of malondialdehyde in platelets were greater in chronic alcoholics both on admission and 1 week after. However, these alterations returned to the level of healthy controls within 4 weeks of abstinence from alcohol and were independent of the number of circulating platelets. Furthermore, on admission, plasma levels of thromboxane B2 were significantly increased in chronic alcoholics when compared with those of healthy controls (400.8 +/- 36.5 versus 241.7 +/- 28.9 pg/ml plasma; p less than 0.025) and were also significantly correlated with malondialdehyde production in washed platelet debris (r = 0.6049; p less than 0.001). In contrast, plasma levels of 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha and prostaglandin E were not altered after chronic alcohol consumption. As a result, the ratio of 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha to thromboxane B2 was markedly decreased in chronic alcoholics (0.31 +/- 0.03 versus 0.62 +/- 0.13; p less than 0.001). These results strongly suggest that the imbalance in prostaglandin endoperoxide metabolites is produced by chronic alcohol ingestion. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between platelet aggregation rate and malondialdehyde production during platelet aggregation (r = 0.559; p less than 0.005). Thus, we conclude that chronic alcohol consumption alters platelet thromboxane metabolism, which is likely associated with the increased ability of platelets to aggregate.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Serum type III procollagen peptide in diagnosis of lung fibrosis due to silicosis and bleomycin toxicity].

Early diagnosis of lung fibrosis has been hampered by the lack of a simple, convenient and specific test. Measurement of serum type III procollagen peptide (Pro (III)-N-P) by the method originally developed by Rohde et al. has been shown to be useful for the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis. The present study, therefore, was carried out to investigate the usefulness of the measurement of Pro (III)-N-P in 24 patients with lung fibrosis due to silicosis, and in 7 patients with malignant lymphoma treated with bleomycin, antitumor antibiotic which was the adverse effect of producing fibrosis in the lung. The normal value of the peptide in adults was 8.60 +/- 2.35 ng/ml (mean +/- SD; n = 68) and the normal upper level was set at 13.4 ng/ml (mean +/- 2SD). Patients with silicosis had significantly but not extremely high levels of the peptide and 25% of the patients showed abnormally high values. The level of Pro (III)-N-P was associated with neither physical findings, chest X-p findings nor pulmonary function test results. Three of 7 patients showed increased levels during treatment with bleomycin. In one case, a total dose of 120 mg of bleomycin for over a period of 14 months markedly increased the level of the peptide. These observations suggest that the determination of Pro (III)-N-P may be useful for the detection of lung fibrosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Inhibitory effect of propylthiouracil on the development of metabolic tolerance to ethanol.

Chronic ethanol administration (4-5 weeks) to female spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats led to a marked increase in the rate of ethanol metabolism. This was accompanied by an increase in hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and by an increase in the rate of oxygen consumption in perfused livers of these animals. Treatment with the antithyroid drug 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) during the last 9 days (40 mg/kg/day) of the chronic administration of ethanol reduced hepatic oxygen consumption, resulting in a net diminution of the metabolic tolerance to ethanol, despite a further elevation in ADH activity. In these animals, microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS) activity was not affected by chronic ethanol administration or by treatment with PTU. Data strongly suggest that in the female SH rat all the metabolic tolerance to ethanol proceeds via the ADH pathway, and that the increase in hepatic oxygen consumption is more important in the development of metabolic tolerance to ethanol than the increased ADH levels.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1985

Determination of serum apo A-IV concentration in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition.

Serum apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV levels were determined in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) by an immunoassay using a specific antiserum against apo A-IV purified from human sera. The value was significantly lower than that of normal subjects (p less than 0.001), and the level correlated significantly with the duration of TPN. In a patient receiving TPN, serum apo A-IV concentration decreased during TPN and returned to normal levels after resuming oral intake of diet. This finding indicates that serum apo A-IV is a new parameter for nutritional assessment, since the protein is exclusively synthesized in the gut, being different from other rapid turnover proteins which are mainly synthesized in the liver.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Familial intrahepatic cholestatic cirrhosis in young adults.

Two siblings with intrahepatic cholestatic cirrhosis and their brother, who had a potentially related disease at the time of accidental death, are presented. The onset of disease occurred during adolescence in all 3 cases. The initial sign was mild jaundice or portal hypertension. There was no abnormality in the countenance, cardiovascular system, or vertebral column. Except for the brother who died from an accident, jaundice gradually increased. Death followed due to cirrhosis. Liver biopsy specimens of these 2 patients showed diminution of interlobular bile ducts with no significant cholangitis. At autopsy, the livers of the 2 patients showed biliary cirrhosis without extrahepatic biliary obstruction. In both cases there was an accessory lobe on the right hepatic lobe. Histologically, septal bile ducts showed pronounced papillary proliferations of the epithelium; there was also a decrease in the number of small interlobular bile ducts. Excess copper accumulation in the liver was ascertained. It is suggested that the disease in the 2 autopsied cases is intrahepatic cholestatic cirrhosis due to hypoplasia of the intrahepatic biliary trees.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Differential determination of cationic and anionic glutathione S-transferases by enzyme immunoassay.

Specific enzyme immunoassays for cationic and anionic glutathione S-transferases were established using the specific antibodies which were purified by antigen-bound adsorbent column chromatography. The enzyme immunoassay for cationic glutathione S-transferase had high specificity to cationic enzyme, but showed no cross reactivity with anionic one, and vice versa. The recovery of cationic glutathione S-transferase by the enzyme immunoassay was 94.7%, and coefficient of variation for within day and day-to-day precision were 7.8-10.4% and 8.5-12.5%, respectively. The enzyme immunoassay for anionic glutathione S-transferase also had a good recovery and precision. Using these enzyme immunoassays for glutathione S-transferases, sera of various patients were analyzed. Serum cationic glutathione S-transferase was increased in patients with hepatitis and hepatoma, and anionic glutathione S-transferase in serum was increased in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

[Serum type III procollagen peptide in patients with pneumoconiosis].

Early diagnosis of lung fibrosis has been hampered by the lack of a simple, convenient and specific method. Recently Rohde et al. developed an assay method for Type III procollagen peptide. Type III procollagen peptide, an extension peptide released during the biosynthesis of collagen Type III, has been known as a good marker for hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, we applied this assay to the patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lung fibrosis in collagen disease and silicosis. And also we measured the serum level of the peptide in the healthy workers being exposed to silica. Normal value of the peptide in adults was 8.3 +/- 2.6 (mean +/- SD; n = 32) ng/ml. The upper value over mean + 2SD, 13.4 ng/ml, was regarded as abnormal value. Six patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and lung fibrosis in collagen disease showed a significant increased level of 19.0 +/- 9.6 ng/ml (P less than 0.02). Four of 6 patients had abnormal high values. On the other hand, the patients with silicosis had not so high levels of peptide (12.6 +/- 6.5 ng/ml; n = 24; P less than 0.01), but 25% of the patients showed abnormal values. There were 2 cases among 19 healthy workers being exposed to silica who revealed slight abnormal values, 15.6 and 16.7 ng/ml. These observations suggest that the assay has a prognostic value for lung fibrosis and also is useful for the early detection of active lung fibrosis in the workers, even though Type III procollagen biosynthesis is already low in the late stages of silicosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Potentiation of halothane hepatotoxicity by chronic ethanol administration in rat: an animal model of halothane hepatitis.

To determine if chronic ethanol administration modifies the effect of halothane on the liver, fourteen male Wistar rats were pair-fed nutritionally adequate liquid diets containing either ethanol (36% of calories) or isocaloric carbohydrate (controls) for 6 weeks. After halothane anesthesia of these animals under different oxygen concentration, the livers were examined light microscopically as well as biochemically. The livers from rats fed ethanol which received halothane at low oxygen concentration showed multifocal or patchy necrosis primarily in the centrilobular regions with parenchymal lipid accumulation, whereas no such lesions were not observed in pair-fed controls. Hepatic necrosis was also seen after halothane anesthesia even at ambient oxygen concentrations, although the degree of necrosis was much milder. Hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 content was increased by 30% after ethanol but was decreased following halothane anesthesia. These data suggest that halothane is hepatotoxic to liver of rats chronically pretreated with ethanol, especially under hypoxic condition.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1983

Acceleration of ethanol metabolism by administration of uridine diphosphate(UDP) in rat.

To see if UDP accelerates the metabolism of ethanol, Wistar female rats were given UDP(100 mg/kg b.w.) intra-gastrically prior to a single dose of ethanol (3 g/kg b.w.) ingestion. UDP pretreatment accelerated blood ethanol disappearance rate by 50% (mg/kg animal/hr) by Widmark formula. Increases of the hepatic triglyceride concentration 6 hours and 20 hours after ethanol administration were significantly low in UDP pretreated animals suggesting the lipotropic effect of UDP. Neither the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase nor microsomal ethanol oxidizing system was affected by UDP pretreatment. The ratio of lactate to pyruvate in liver 6 hours after ethanol was not changed as compared with that of the control whether the rats were pretreated with UDP or not. There were significant increases in hepatic ATP content and the size of the adenylate pool in UDP pretreated group, whereas the energy charge was unchanged as compared with ethanol-alone group. These data suggest that UDP enhances ethanol metabolism possibly by causing a change in ATP metabolism.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1983

Calcium requirement for anoxic liver cell injury.

There is disagreement as to whether Ca2+ entrance into the cell constitutes a final common pathway in cell death by a variety of injurious conditions. Pre-necrotic lesions and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase were induced both in isolated perfused rat livers and in freshly isolated hepatocytes by short exposure to anoxic conditions. Removal of Ca2+ from the media markedly reduced cell damage induced by anoxia in the perfused liver preparation but not in freshly isolated hepatocytes. Data obtained support the hypothesis that Ca2+ ions play a role in the process of cell death in intact preparations and possibly in vivo, and suggest that mechanism of cell necrosis may be different in the perfused liver than in freshly isolated suspended hepatocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Significance of serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase as a marker of alcoholism.

To study the effect of chronic ethanol administration on the activity of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) in various tissues, female rats were pair-fed liquid diets with 36% of total calories either as ethanol or as isocaloric carbohydrate (controls). Six weeks of ethanol feeding resulted in a significant increase of cytochrome P450 content. Hepatic microsomal GGTP activity was almost doubled after ethanol feeding whether expressed per g of liver or per mg of microsomal protein. Furthermore, intestinal GGTP activity was significantly enhanced after ethanol, whereas there was no change in the enzyme activity in either kidney or pancreas. There was a concomitant elevation of plasma GGTP activity. Phenobarbital administration to rats resulted in an enhancement of GGTP activity in the liver whether given orally or intraperitoneally. In addition, intestinal GGTP activity after oral phenobarbital was also significantly increased, although its activity after intraperitoneal administration was not enhanced. These results suggest that enhanced hepatic and intestinal GGTP activities may contribute, at least in part, to an increased level of serum GGTP frequently seen in chronic alcoholics.

Alcoholism↗